digitalis Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 How's it going guys and gals ill try and keep this short but it is concerning me. Have been living in a houseshare in a suburb of perth just ne abs another person for just under 2 months. Her old Jm's were slobs and were here for quite a while. She is clean but spends next to tune or effort on the house for example she only bought a mop on my insistence and still don't have a decent Hoover. Anyway over the last 3weeks cockroaches,,large repulsive ones have been making a regular appearance in the house. Mainly in the kitchen but also I just spotted one roaming around the bedrooms which unsurprisingly made off before I could chop it on half. Now my point is that back in the UK this would b bordering on infestation on fact I've never seen one in tfe uk full stop. I'm starting to get a horrible feeling that my housemate is being less than forthright with nme and basically I have feeling that there is an ongoing pest problem originating from the old tenants and their very messy ways. She has mentioned having the place fumigated before. So my question is to anyone in the Perth area at least just how often are you encountering roaches and am I just experienceing normal WA summer life. Many thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keily Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 How's it going guys and gals ill try and keep this short but it is concerning me. Have been living in a houseshare in a suburb of perth just ne abs another person for just under 2 months. Her old Jm's were slobs and were here for quite a while. She is clean but spends next to tune or effort on the house for example she only bought a mop on my insistence and still don't have a decent Hoover. Anyway over the last 3weeks cockroaches,,large repulsive ones have been making a regular appearance in the house. Mainly in the kitchen but also I just spotted one roaming around the bedrooms which unsurprisingly made off before I could chop it on half. Now my point is that back in the UK this would b bordering on infestation on fact I've never seen one in tfe uk full stop. I'm starting to get a horrible feeling that my housemate is being less than forthright with nme and basically I have feeling that there is an ongoing pest problem originating from the old tenants and their very messy ways. She has mentioned having the place fumigated before. So my question is to anyone in the Perth area at least just how often are you encountering roaches and am I just experienceing normal WA summer life. Many thanks! unfortunately they are part and parcel of ozzie life ...u can keep them down by spraying mortein or putting down baits and yes keeping areas free from food crumbs etc ...i dont believe there is a house in oz thats not had them at some point mrs keily Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sammy1 Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 Ugh can't stand them. When I lived in outback NT they were HUGE and crawled out of the air conditioning vents ( which were in the ground). Since I have lived in WA I have only ever seen one and it was pretty small, hitched a lift from outside. I would say that your room mates may not be telling you everything? You shouldn't really be seeing that many! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windswept Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 Part of the problem with roaches is that they eat just about anything. However, leaving any food scraps (including tiny crumbs) or uncovered food around is asking for trouble. You will be seeing more of them as they do come out in the warmer weather. I don't think we see any over winter at our place, but once the warmer weather starts they seem to 'appear' out of nowhere. We are lucky and don't get too many in the house, but I haven't passed a single summer of my life without a cockroach encounter inside. You know when you have a major problem - you'll see six or eight in a small kitchen at night when you turn the light on, all scuttling away from the light. We had this a few years ago at one of our properties (YUCK!). Basically you need to absolutely scour every single surface, including under the fridge, the rangehood and its filters, all pantry and cupboard shelves need to have everything removed and wiped out (including on top of the cupboards, if you have wall mounted cupboards), the toaster tray needs to be cleaned and the toaster turned upside down and shaken outside. This will mean that the house is clean (and it needs to be clean EVERYWHERE, not just what you can see - a spilt softdrink left to dry under the fridge is enough to keep generations of roaches happy and well fed), which means it's less of an incentive for them to hang around. If after a few weeks of keeping the place spotless, you still see a few roaches around, the best thing to do is organise a weekend at a friend or relative's house and get the kitchen sprayed. I loathe roaches and even though I know they're a part of life (at least here in WA) I still try to fight the good fight and make our place as inhospitable as possible for them. I can handle them outside the house, just not inside. Yuck!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calNgary Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 See when the house was last pest sprayed, we pest spray regually and ive had about 2 cockroaches in 5 years so not bad going. Cal x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rikyuu Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 I've not seen one in Melbourne yet (touch wood), which is surprising considering how messy the missus is in the kitchen! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rupert Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 I am in NSW, I think seeing a cockroach here in Australia does not mean severely questionable hygine as it would if you saw one in the UK, but I still would not exect to see them very often at all. We see one perhaps 3 or 4 times a year, never seen 2 or more at the same time, always singletons. Whilst they are unavoidable to a point, if the house is a bit grubby then it defintiely isn't going to be helping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parley Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 Get the odd one in Melbourne inside but not a major problem. They are quite easy to catch with a dustpan and brush. Just brush into the pan and they wriggle around but can't get out of the pan easily. I usually just flick them outside then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johndoe Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 Buy some contact spray and spray the floor round the skirting boards, fridge and cooker. If you've got a bad infestation, you should see half a dozen on their backs in the morning, still kicking. If you don't find more, then it's nothing to worry about............as someone said, they're part and parcel of Aussie life, as long as they're not found in hordes. The spray to keep 'em down, should last for at least 3 months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickyNook Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 Large, repulsive cockroaches don't tend to live indoors, they live outside and in the wall cavities. It's the warmer weather that's bringing them out - iffy hygiene has nothing to do with it so don't blame your flatmate. As others have said, it's the small cockroaches that live in your cupboards, behind the fridge etc. They are a fact of life here. Annual spraying will keep the numbers down but you'll never stop them altogether. There are masses around here in the summer - go for a walk in any beachy area at night and you will see them scuttling across the footpath. You get used to them... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 105northrd Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 Buy some bombs and vacate your house for a day, thats what i did and it has worked Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 I don't think you should be seeing that many. They don't bother me but my wife has given me a shout a couple of times to remove one. I find I can just grab them and chuck them outside, they don't hurt you, just tickle a bit when you grab them. I think hygiene does play a part, we had loads in our student share house in Birmingham. We had 4 guys all living together and the house was a mess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairystar32 Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 In the old house, we had them when we moved in and the house was empty and spotless! We had a gel proffesionally placed in all the door hindges ( you can do this yourself but we didnt know at the time) WE do get them in this house, but very rarely as we have 2 cats and they eat them. I know there are some in the garage though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starlight7 Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 Worse than rats Worse than mice Worse than blowies Worse than snakes Eughh - cockroaches are EVIL scary things!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest16631 Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 ..........leave bay leaves in window sills and cupboards...........should deter them......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 Cockroaches are a fact of life in Australia, especially the big mummy ones that could easily survive a nuclear holocaust. Basic hygiene, clenliness (especially in the kitchen), and a 3 monthly spray of insecticide usually does the trick.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveNem Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 We use those bombs you can buy from bunnings etc. We had loads when we first moved into this rental but seem ok now. We do however have a cheeky 1 year old who leaves food in stupid places so we can never be completely clean. We do our best though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starlight7 Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 ..........leave bay leaves in window sills and cupboards...........should deter them......... I love that caravan... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest16631 Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 I love that caravan... ........thank you..........it's just off the Internet but ..........very similar to my grandmothers ..........her was not so ornate........sadly long gone.....! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johndoe Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 Don't use the bombs if you keep birds or fish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newjez Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 You shouldn't have cockroaches in your house. You may get the odd visitor a few times a year, but if you are having daily contact with them you have a problem. Once they get ingrained, they can be quite hard to get rid of. I would wash all plates and cutlery before using, as they will have been crawling on them. Keep all food in plastic containers. And cockroach bomb regularly. You may need to get the drains checked too, as if there is a crack, they could be entering from here. Just remember, that before they were walking in your house, they were probably walking on poo. I assume you have an older house, as they are much more common than in newer houses. The other option is of course to move. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourcorners Posted December 13, 2012 Share Posted December 13, 2012 I think that's a bit extreme newjez! We see them in the house about once a week during summer, and more often outside. We try and stomp on them outside before they get back into the grass! Inside we've used small Mortein poison baits, which worked well. Must get some more actually. Yesterday I saw a big one appear on the top of the dishwasher. There is a gap in the wall behind the dishwasher where they get in, and he scuttled back behind it before I could whack him with a flip flop. Last summer I was awoken in bed by one crawling across my face. At first I didn't know what it was so I panicked! Turned the light on and found him, chased him round the bed for a while before finally getting him. My partner didn't know what on earth was going on, woken by the light and me brandishing a flip-flop chasing it from one side of the bed to the other!! At least it was a cockroach and not some big hairy Hunstman spider or worse, that would have really freaked me out! As you can tell, my favourite weapon of choice is the flip-flop! But yeah, just try and clean regularly in the kitchen. I think our visitors are just opportunists. We had opportunist mice for a few days too but they disappeared once they realised no food was left out and about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newjez Posted December 13, 2012 Share Posted December 13, 2012 Have you thought about sealing the gap? Getting them outside is one thing, but you shouldn't see them inside on a frequent basis. If you have an older style house with floor boards, then your a bit stuck, but you shouldn't really get them in a newer property. I lived with an infestation in Mt Hawthorn, and it really is not nice. I moved out. Couldn't get rid of the damn things, and my flatmates were pigs. I think that's a bit extreme newjez! We see them in the house about once a week during summer, and more often outside. We try and stomp on them outside before they get back into the grass! Inside we've used small Mortein poison baits, which worked well. Must get some more actually. Yesterday I saw a big one appear on the top of the dishwasher. There is a gap in the wall behind the dishwasher where they get in, and he scuttled back behind it before I could whack him with a flip flop. Last summer I was awoken in bed by one crawling across my face. At first I didn't know what it was so I panicked! Turned the light on and found him, chased him round the bed for a while before finally getting him. My partner didn't know what on earth was going on, woken by the light and me brandishing a flip-flop chasing it from one side of the bed to the other!! At least it was a cockroach and not some big hairy Hunstman spider or worse, that would have really freaked me out! As you can tell, my favourite weapon of choice is the flip-flop! But yeah, just try and clean regularly in the kitchen. I think our visitors are just opportunists. We had opportunist mice for a few days too but they disappeared once they realised no food was left out and about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourcorners Posted December 13, 2012 Share Posted December 13, 2012 We rent and the house is about 70 years old. The gap is basically a 3sqft hole at the back the compartment of the dishwasher through the newer wall accessing the power point which is attached to the original wall behind. You can feel quite a breeze through it when it's windy. We don't have an infestation, as I said it's just the odd one now about once a week in summer. I'm not actually that bothered by them. I would be far more concerned with mice or ants. I don't see any more at our house than at all my friends houses which are about the same age. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwgster Posted December 15, 2012 Share Posted December 15, 2012 Good on ya.. Flip flp it is.. Made me and the wife chuckle! No water by the side of the bed for me then! haha :-) I think that's a bit extreme newjez! We see them in the house about once a week during summer, and more often outside. We try and stomp on them outside before they get back into the grass! Inside we've used small Mortein poison baits, which worked well. Must get some more actually. Yesterday I saw a big one appear on the top of the dishwasher. There is a gap in the wall behind the dishwasher where they get in, and he scuttled back behind it before I could whack him with a flip flop. Last summer I was awoken in bed by one crawling across my face. At first I didn't know what it was so I panicked! Turned the light on and found him, chased him round the bed for a while before finally getting him. My partner didn't know what on earth was going on, woken by the light and me brandishing a flip-flop chasing it from one side of the bed to the other!! At least it was a cockroach and not some big hairy Hunstman spider or worse, that would have really freaked me out! As you can tell, my favourite weapon of choice is the flip-flop! But yeah, just try and clean regularly in the kitchen. I think our visitors are just opportunists. We had opportunist mice for a few days too but they disappeared once they realised no food was left out and about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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